Porvorim: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane today said that the circular would be issued to all the doctors asking them to report about any patient having symptoms of Nipah virus.
Rane today notified a committee headed by state Health secretary and other department officers which would draw protocol, in case, the virus hits the tourist state.
“At present there is no reason to worry as there is not a single case about this virus in Goa. The centre has also not issued any alert except for a general advisory briefing about the origin and symptoms of Nipah virus,” he said.
The minister said that the circular would be issued to all the private and government doctors asking them to be vigilant about any patient suspected to be showing symptoms of Nipah.
He said that the doctors would be asked to send the samples of suspected patients to the State-run Goa Medical College and Hospital that would be sent for Pune-based National Institute of Virology for testing.
Rane said that the central government has asked the State that the clinicians should be advised to consider “all possibility of NiV infection in person with fever and altered sensorium seizures or respiratory illness requiring hospitalization and an appropriate travel to the affected or exposure history in last 21 days.”
“These cases should be urgently investigated to rule out the prevalent cause of acute Encephalitis before testing for Nipah virus disease,” said Rane quoting the advisory issued by the union health ministry.
